His Southern Belle
by marie-moxley-ambrose
Summary: Every time he closed his eyes, Daryl Dixon saw her. It didn't matter if he was dreaming or not. She was always there. He saw the pretty white sundress, the brown belt she wore with it wrapped around her waist and those stupid brown cowboy styled boots she wore everywhere. Now those memories they shared together felt like they were all he had left of her. Daryl/OC.
1. Prologue

**His Southern Belle Prologue **

Every time he closed his eyes, Daryl Dixon saw her. It didn't matter if he was dreaming or not. She was always there.

He saw the pretty white sundress, the brown belt she wore with it wrapped around her waist and those stupid brown cowboy styled boots she wore everywhere.

He saw how her wavy chocolate brown hair framed her beautiful face, her long dark lashes that frame her big blue eyes that rivalled the blue in his eyes, her pink lip-glossed lips, and the light splash of freckles that covered her nose. You could only see them if close to her.

He could see her smile, the one that could light up a room like a ray of sunshine, the same one she would give him when she told him she loved him and he would say it back.

He never knew the meaning of perfect. He'd never had it until he met her. He knew he had found it in his very own southern belle. And now those memories they shared together felt like they were all he had left of her.

When people started coming back from the dead, when the world went to shit, she'd been in Atlanta visiting a family member. He didn't know if she was still alive or still in the city when they dropped the bombs.

He always looked out for her when he'd been hunting or the very few times he went on a run with some of the others in the group of survivors he was with. He never ever saw her, only when he closed his eyes.

He sighed when he heard his brother say call his name. Opening his eyes the vision of her faded away. He stood up from where he was laying and walked out of his tent coming face to face with Merle and his new reality.

* * *

><p><strong>Just a short prologue. I posted something like this a while ago but deleted it. Are you guys interested in reading more? Should I continue it? Who would like to beta it? You guys may have to be patient with me. I'm at the start of getting ready to move.<strong>


	2. Chapter 01: Lilly

**Still looking for a beta. If anyone's interested let me know. Thanks to ****AzkadelliaBlast94, ****Rebel4Life14, ****okgurl87, Guest and for being the first to review and to those who added this to their favorites and follow lists. I hope you enjoy this chapter. This story is going to switch between Daryl and Lilly until they're reunited.**

**CHAPTER ONE: Lilly**

Footsteps coming from down stairs startled Lillian Jones awake. She grabbed her gun from under the pillow. She got out of bed holding the gun in front of her as she made her way out of the bedroom and down the stairs trying not to make a sound. She rounded the corner and into the living room. Seeing who it was she lowered the weapon with a relieved sigh.

"What are ya doing?" she asked him with a slight frown, staying where she was standing.

"Making sure everything's secure," Her cousin Johnny Jones said looking out the window. "You're supposed to be sleeping."

"I was 'til I heard you movin' round down here," she sighed. "Why don't ya get some sleep and I'll take watch?"

"Cause you need the sleep more than I do."

"If I could sleep I would." She frowned again as she sat down on the old ratty couch. "It's the only way I can see him." She added mumbling more to herself. But Johnny heard her.

"We will find him, and then you can tell him all 'bout the lil one." He tried to reassure her. Lilly was about 13-14 weeks pregnant. She'd found out she was nine weeks pregnant just as the world was starting to crumble. She never got the chance to tell Daryl.

"That's if he's even still alive. I should 'ave just called him." She mumbled again. There were days she was fall of determination to find him then there were days she just wanted to curl up into a ball and cry. She blamed the hormones, herself and the zombie apocalypse.

When she found out she was pregnant, Johnny had talked her out of going home to find Daryl. He didn't want her leaving on her own and the government was advising everyone to go to their nearest refuge center. He'd convinced her to stay at the refuge camp in case Daryl did make it there. Atlanta was the only one set up in all of Georgia.

Three days went by before Lilly couldn't take it anymore. She had to go find Daryl, she didn't care what anyone said. Johnny wouldn't let her go on her own knowing it wasn't safe. He'd already lost his wife and two daughters to the freaks. Lilly and her unborn child became his priority and when he couldn't stop he had no choice but to go with her.

When they'd arrived at her and Daryl's home, no one was there. Merle's motorcycle and Daryl's pick up truck was gone. The cousin's quickly gathered the little amount of supplies that were left behind and filled another backpack with her clothes. She found her two guns and ammunition, thankful Daryl and Merle hadn't taken them.

Getting back in the car, Johnny started to drive back towards the city where the refuge center was located. An announcement had come over the radio saying that the city was becoming overrun. Panicked, Lilly knew they couldn't go back to the city. It was a false hope. Whatever was happening, was taking over this world. She pleaded with her cousin to find a house where they could lock themselves in and be safe for the time being.

He found a house not far from where they'd stopped. It stood alone in the woods. There was still quite a bit of food left behind, some larger women's clothes that could fit her as her belly grew, some blankets and pillows. The house had one bedroom. Johnny let her take it knowing she needed the bed more than he did. That's where they stayed while they searched. Lilly hoped she could find any sign of him but she always came up empty.

A week or so, they started getting low on food. Johnny was always making sure she was eating enough now she was eating for two. Her pregnancy seemed a little more real when she started noticing the small bump starting to form. She started having doubts about having the baby. She didn't know if she could raise it in a world gone to hell, where people were eating people, dying and coming back to like as those monsters. She knew it would only get worse as more people died. It was no place for a baby.

But the part of her that didn't want to get rid of him or her spoke the loudest. She couldn't get rid of the baby, even if the world has gone to shit. She'd feel awful and guilt ridden. No, she was keeping this baby and she was going to do everything to protect it. This could be her only chance at having a child, Daryl's child. It sounded selfish but after the last time she got pregnant she wanted this one even more.

"Weren't you the one sayin' if anyone could survive this it would be him?" He asked bring her from her thoughts. "I'm sure that's what you said yesterday."

"That was yesterday."

"Just go back to sleep, we have a long walk tomorrow." He ordered her. She needed her rest. The baby used more and more of her energy as he or she grew bigger. "We shouldn't be far from the quarry now."

After being in this house for five or six days, they were down to their last few cans of beans. Johnny got the idea of going to the quarry just outside the city. He thought there could be people camped there with food, clean water and medical supplies. If there was and they still had a shred of humanity left, they couldn't turn away a pregnant woman.

Lilly had a little glimmer of hope Daryl would be there is there were people at the quarry. She didn't want to get her hopes up though. She didn't want to lose any more hope. She'd already lost enough.

"I'm not goin' back to the room. I'll stay down here with you," She said walking back up the stairs. Going back into the bedroom she grabbed the pillow and blankets she was using and walked back down the stairs.

Putting the pillow down, she laid down on the couch pulling the blanket over her. She looked over at Johnny who was looking out the window. "Ya can sleep. It's not like the freaks are overrunning the woods."

"That's because they still have plenty to eat in the city. Once they run out the woods are gonna be the first place they go to." He sighed. "Better to be prepared because God knows when that'll be."

"God hasn't been much help these days," She muttered.

"That comin' from a preacher's daughter?" He lightly chuckled. "You lost ya faith already?"

"The world ending can make you lose a lot of things. Some people will lose their faith, some would lose their beliefs, some will lose their humanity and some will lose everything including their lives." She said looking up at the ceiling. "If there are other people out there, it's not just the dead we'd have to worry about. This world will bring out the worst in people, if it hasn't already."

A heavy silence fell over them until Johnny spoke again. "We'll just have to be smart and careful, not trust anyone."


	3. Chapter 02: Daryl

**A.N: Thanks for all the reviews. Italics are flashbacks.**

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><p><strong>CHAPTER 02 - Daryl<strong>

"Ya goin' huntin'?" Merle's loud and obnoxious voice called from outside their tent.

"Yeah, gonna head out soon," Daryl told him as he cleaned his crossbow and the arrows. "Might be gone for a few days."

"If I ain't here when ya get back, I'll be on the group run."

"Don't be causing trouble."

"Trouble is my middle name, little brother." Merle smirked.

Daryl rolled his eyes and frowned at him. He put slung his crossbow over his shoulder. "I'm leavin' now."

"I'll see ya when ya get back if I bet ya back here."

Daryl nodded before heading towards the woods. This morning he'd told Shane, their self-appointed camp leader that he was going hunting to see if he could find them something to eat that wasn't beans. Hunting also killed the boredom. He couldn't sit around and do nothing.

"Hey," Merle called to him. Daryl stopped and turned to look at him. "Be careful out there; don't want to have to deal with these idiots on my own."

"You too," he said before turning back towards the woods and continued walking.

**-x-x-x-**

Deciding to stop for the night, Daryl stopped hunting when he came across a small cottage. Stepping inside, he made sure there were no. He'd caught a quite a few squirrels to help feed everyone. There was a good distance between him and the camp.

Once Daryl finished eating, he checked once more that everything was secure. When he was satisfied that everything was secure and safe, he laid down and closed his eyes. His mind instantly drifted to Lilly. As sleep soon over took him he started to dream about the first time he met her.

_"Excuse me, do you need some help?" A soft child-like voice asked from behind him._

_Daryl turned around to see a young girl standing a few feet away from him. She didn't look older than 10 or 11 years old. He shook his head answering the girl while turning back to the bush he was picking the berries from._

_"What's your name?" He heard her ask. He looked at her again._

_"Why do you wanna know?" He frowned at her. She just smiled. Daryl felt something weird happening in his stomach. She had the most beautiful smile he'd even seen. He wouldn't admit that to anyone._

_"Just bein' curious," she shrugged her shoulders. "I'm also new here, don't know nobody but my daddy."_

_Daryl noticed she didn't add her mom to the very small list of people she knew in this small county town._

_"I mean I do know other people since my daddy's the new preacher in town, but I only know their names and they only really talk to him." She continued to talk. Daryl was starting to wonder if she had an off switch. "I'm Lillian Belle Jones, but you can call me Lilly."_

_Daryl looked at the hand she held out towards him as she introduced herself. He looked at her hand but didn't shake it as he introduced himself. "Daryl Dixon."_

_She pulled her hand back when he didn't shake it. Her smile never faltered. "Its nice to meet you Daryl Dixon."_

_"How old are you?" He found himself asking._

_She looked at him slightly confused. The question was a little random but she seemed to be a random person. Girls he didn't know never approached him wanting to get to know him. The girls he did know never talked to him either. No one really did since his mom died. He'd shut himself off from the outside world when everything got worse._

_"I'm 11, I'll be 12 in two months," she replied. "What about you?"_

_"I'm thirteen in two weeks."_

_"That's cool, are ya havin' a birthday party?"_

_He shook his head no and wanted to stop talking about it now. He didn't want to say more than he already had. He didn't know her and she didn't know him._

_She obviously hadn't heard people talk about him or his family. She mustn't have heard his father was the town drunk that beats his children, that his mom was also a drunk and had died in a fire she started when she'd passed out drunk with a lit cigarette. This Lilly girl couldn't have heard that his brother was in and out of juvenile detention. She couldn't have heard that sometimes, like now, he was left alone for days while his brother did another stint and his dad was on another bender with some woman. He didn't mind sometimes. It gave him a break from the abuse._

_If Lilly knew all those things , she wouldn't be talking to him right now. Most if the kids stopped talking to him when they heard what the adults were saying. All the other kids he shut out himself._

_He was soon pulled away from his thoughts when she spoke again. "I should get back home. I don't want daddy knowin' I took a walk on my own in the woods. He doesn't like when I come out here on my own."_

_"It can be dangerous."_

_She giggled. "Its Georgia, not the Amazon"_

_"People hunt in these woods." He frowned slightly. "Don't want no little girl getting shot 'cause she was mistaken for a deer or somethin'."_

_"Ya worried about me?" she smirked a little._

_"I don't even know you," he frowned at her._

_"You don't have to know someone to worry about them."_

What Daryl didn't know at that time was how much he'd come to worry about her when he wasn't near her. He didn't realise he would care for someone that wasn't his brother or that she'd end up his only friend and he'd feel things he'd never felt until he met her.

He remembered the day they shared their first kiss. They'd been friends right through high school. He acted like a jerk when she told him she was going to college in Atlanta. They weren't on good terms when she left for the city. Daryl could only see that he was losing the one good thing in his messed up world and with her promises of returning, he refused to believe her, even when she'd never broken a promise she made to him.

He'd been out hunting when she came back to the county. He stopped, shocked to see her sitting on his front porch, waiting for him to return. He'd never seen her look so beautiful. She was in that white dress, with a brown belt, a denim jacket laying over her lap and her famous brown cowboy boots. She looked like how he saw her every time he closed his eyes now.

Seeing her sitting there made him realize a girl like her belonged wherever she wanted to be. There was a lot more in the city for her unlike him. He only managed to graduate high school and it was with her help. He was stuck here but she could do anything she wanted to. And he didn't care as long as it made the beautiful woman sitting on his porch happy.

_"What are you doing here?"_ He remembered asking her.

_"I missed home so when I was offered a job at the school I had to take it." Was her reply as she stood up and walked over to him. "I missed you so much." She whispered in his ear as she pulled him into a hug._

_Daryl didn't stiffen like he did when others touched him. Lilly's touch soothed him. He didn't feel threatened with her like he did with everyone else. Maybe it was because she understood him in a way. There was a lot more behind her than just being a preacher's daughter. There was a lot of stuff no one except him knew about._

_He'd wrapped his arms around her waist, whispering that he had missed her too._

_"Ya got anything planned for tonight?" She asked with a shy smile. He shook his head no. "Ya can take me to the fair tonight, then we can have a couple of drinks and catch up before I start work on Monday."_

_"Do I have a say in this?" He asked knowing he didn't, he would do anything for her, even after three years of not seeing her._

_"Of course not," she kidded, letting out a soft laugh._

_That night they went to the fair. Lilly managed to talk him into playing some of the games and going on a couple of the rides. He'd won a prize from one of the games and gave it to her. The person who owned the stall, who wasn't a local, mentioned how cute of a couple they were. Neither of them corrected her but it made Daryl think._

_He'd had feelings for Lilly through high school but never admited them to anyone, including himself. He could admit she was his best and only friend and he loved her in that way. Loving her as something more than a friend was new and frightening to him._

_His father was on another bender and Merle had left but wasn't in prison, so it was just the two of them when they went back to his house. They caught up over a couple of beers. Daryl told her about how nothing had really changed since she left except for his father going on more benders and Merle had ran off and joined the military. She told him all about school, graduating and getting the job at the local kindergarten._

_Both of them were feeling a little tipsy by the time Lilly decided she should be getting back to her father's house. Daryl walked her out to the front porch where she thanked him for going to the fair with her and kissed his cheek goodnight._

_He turned around to go inside as she walked down the driveway but turned back around when he heard her say his name. As he turned around, a pair of lips crashed against his. He broke the kiss as he stepped back, shocked by her actions. She'd started apologizing as she blushed, her face redder than a strawberry._

_He didn't know what came over him at the time but he'd pulled her back to him and planted his lips to hers this time. He felt her freeze, no doubt as shocked as he was. It wasn't something he'd do in a million years but he enjoyed the feeling of their lips connecting._

_That night was also the first night they spent together. The couple only slept in the same bed, both of them stealing kisses before falling asleep._

**-x-x-x-**

Waking up to hearing a noise outside, Daryl grabbed his crossbow and looked out the window. He smiled a little seeing what was outside and moved to the door. Being careful not to scare the deer, he quietly stepped outside.

Unfortunately he stepped on a twig, snapping it and scaring the deer. He sighed, frowning as he watched it head into the woods. He started tracking the prints it left behind and smiled once more when he noticed it was heading towards the camp.


	4. Chapter 03: Lilly

**CHAPTER 03 - Lilly.**

"I thought ya said we didn't have far to go?" Lilly frowned at her cousin as he led her towards the quarry. They'd been walking for what felt like hours. Lilly's feet, legs, back and hips were beginning to ache. She didn't know how much longer she could walk before having a break.

"We don't have far to go because we're here," he said stopping a few feet in front of her, his hands on his hips.

She closed the distance standing beside him. Looking down at the quarry the first thing she noticed was how blue the water is. She was dirty, hot, sweaty and thirsty. The water was inviting her in. It was calling her name.

"Looks like there is people camping here." She heard her cousin add. She looked towards the camping area and saw an R.V, a couple cars and tents scattered around the area. Her mind left the water and went to Daryl.

"Think Daryl's there?" She asked.

"One way to find out," he said as he started walking again. Lilly followed him a little more eager now.

**-x-x-x-**

"Stop right there!"

They weren't far from the camp when the heard the voice come from behind them. Both of them turned around quickly and came face to face with a large shotgun, an angry looking man behind it.

"I'm Johnny and this is my cousin Lilly. We don't want to cause any trouble." Johnny told the man stepping in front of Lilly slowly. "We're just looking for a place to rest and to find some food and water."

"Got any weapons?" the angry man continued to frown at them.

"A gun with one bullet and a hunting knife," Lilly told him.

"And ya survived this long?"

"Not many freaks in the woods yet, they must still have food in the city." Johnny answered him this time.

"Why only one bullet?"

"We came across a few stragglers." Lilly said.

"Do you have any food left?" he asked. Lilly was beginning to feel like they were being interrogated. She was guessing the man was a cop before all this happened.

"One can of beans." She told him, her eyebrows creased as she frowned back at him. "And that's all."

"Look," Johnny brought the stranger's attention back to him. "She's pregnant," the man's features seemed to soften a little. "She needs the rest, the food and the water. She needs it more than I do."

The man nodded. "Follow me, I'll help get you settled in."

"Thank you..." Johnny trailed off, holding his hand out towards him. The man hadn't given his name yet.

"Shane, Shane Walsh." He told him shaking his hand.

The cousin's followed Shane into camp. Everyone that was around stopped what they were doing and stared at them. He lead them to a man that was wearing a sheriff's uniform and a tall woman and a young boy that was standing next to him.

"I found these two walking in the woods." Shane informed them.

"Hi, I'm Rick Grimes, this is my wife Lori and son Carl." The Sheriff guy introduced himself and his little family.

"Johnny Jones," Johnny said shaking his hand. "This is my cousin Lilly Jones."

"You're pregnant?" the woman, Lori, said stepping forward. Lilly nodded unsure of what to say. Her clothes were getting a little tight now that she was starting to show. It was noticeable. "How far along?"

"I found out I was nine weeks the morning everything went crazy." She told Lori.

"So about 14 or 15 weeks," she said and Lilly nodded again.

"I thought it would be alright if they stay with us," Shane said. Lilly frowned at him again. Lilly felt there was something off about him and the way he threw glances at Lori, it made her think it had something to do with her.

"It would be best if they did," Rick spoke again.

"I'll help you get settled in," Lori said placing a gentle arm on Lilly's arm.

"I'm going to talk to Rick and Shane for a couple of minutes," Johnny told his younger cousin. Lilly nodded and let Lori guide her away from the men.

"I don't want to sound rude but where's your baby's father?" Lori asked as her and Lilly walked over to a group of women doing chores.

"Honestly, I don't know. I was in Atlanta staying with Johnny when the outbreak hit." Lilly sighed sadly. She started thinking about Daryl and was a little disappointed he wasn't here.

"I hope you find him... alive." She said giving her a small smile.

"Me too."

"I'll introduce you to the rest of the group and then get you something to eat if you're hungry." Lori said as they reached the group of woman and children.

**-x-x-x-**

"Disoriented." Rick said as the group, including Johnny and Lilly, sat around the campfire. Lilly guessed someone asked him how he felt when he woke up and found out the world wasn't what it use to be. "I guess that comes closest... Disoriented. Fear, confusion... all those things but..."

There was a loud rumbling of thunder that made Lilly jump. She didn't like storms. She felt a gentle hand on her shoulder and gave her cousin a small smile.

"Disoriented comes closest." Rick continued as Lilly zoned out again. She admitted she got her hopes up in finding Daryl with this group. She'd hoped he was.

"Are ya okay?" She heard Johnny whisper to her. She nodded but he knew it was a lie. "We'll find him."

"What if he's already dead? What if he's one of those things?" she whispered back to him.

"You can't think like that."

"Worst case scenario," she mumbled. "If I keep telling myself he's alive and okay, I lose a little more hope that he is actually alive and okay. I'm tired of -"

She was cut off hearing someone say a name she was beginning to think she'd never hear again. "Did you say Daryl Dixon?" She asked the man, Dale Horvath who she'd been introduced to after she'd been introduced to the woman doing the chores. She thought he was a nice man. He'd even offered her the bed in the RV when he saw she was pregnant.

"Do you know him?" Rick asked her.

"He's her husband." Johnny told him.

"Daryl's married?" the younger blonde woman, Amy, asked looking just as shocked as everyone else.

"We're not married," Lilly corrected her cousin.

"They've just been together long enough that people think they're married." Johnny said then looked at Lilly. "Ten years this year aint it?"  
>Lilly nodded.<p>

"He's the father of your baby?" Lori asked. Lilly nodded again.

"What were you saying about Daryl?" She asked changing the subject off her and Daryl's relationship and back to what they were talking about before she interrupted. If anything had happened to him she wanted to know before she got her hopes up again.

It was the Korean kid, Glenn, that spoke this time. "We left his brother Merle-"

"Merle's alive too?" she interrupted again.

Glenn sighed. "We don't know. We left him handcuffed to a roof in Atlanta. The key was dropped when T-Dog went to uncuff him."

Lilly didn't know what to say. She knew what Merle was like but did he really deserve to be handcuffed to a roof in a city full of the living dead. And now she was starting to question whether these people were as trusting as they seemed.

"I'll tell him." T-Dog's voice cut through her thoughts. "I dropped the key. It's on me."

"I cuffed him. That makes it mine." Rick said, making it sound like a contest.

T-Dog looked like he wanted to say something when Glenn cut in, "Guys, it's not a competition. I don't mean to bring race into this, but it might sound better coming from a white guy."

Lilly frowned at him. Merle may have been a racist but Daryl wasn't. She wondered if they all thought he was like Merle.

"I did what I did." T-Dog said. "Hell if I'm gonna hide from him."

"We could lie." Amy spoke.

"Or tell the truth." Her older sister Andrea said. "Merle was out of control. Something had to be done or he'd have gotten us killed."

Lilly quickly stood up not wanting to listen to anymore of the groups conversation. She walked back to the RV ignoring that everyone had stopped talking and was watching her walk away.

"Hey, you okay?" She heard Johnny ask as he stepped onto the RV behind her.

"Yeah, just tired," she lied. "It's been a long day, I'm going to have an early night."

"Alright," he said. "If you need anything just come see me."

"I will," she said giving him a small smile. He kissed her on the top of her head and left the RV.

She laid down on the bed pulling the thin blanket over her despite the heat. She closed her eyes, a million and one thoughts running through her head. Most of them about Daryl and some of them were about Merle.

She was ecstatic that Daryl was alive and fine. She was sad Merle might not be. Merle was the only family, aside from her and now the baby, that Daryl had or gave a shit about. He wasn't the world's best brother but he taught Daryl some of the hunting and surviving things he knows. When he wasn't locked up in juvie he raised Daryl while their father was away on benders. Merle was really all Daryl thought he had now. He didn't know that she was alive. He didn't know she was pregnant.

Hoping Daryl would return tomorrow, a dreamless sleep soon overtook her.

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><p><strong>Thanks to Nandita21unexplained for being the only one to review that last chapter, I appreciate it. Hope you all read and review. And I'm still looking for a beta.<strong>


	5. Chapter 04: Lilly

**CHAPTER 04: Lilly**

Lilly woke up hearing people's voices and scuffling. When she recognized one of the voices better than the others, she quickly pulled the blanket off her and got out of bed rushing to the RV door. She stopped, seeing him only a few feet away.

"Hell with all y'all!" He shouted clearly upset. "Just tell me where he is so I can go get him."

"He'll show you." Lori spoke. "Isn't that right?"

"I'm going back," Rick sighed.

Lilly stepped off the RV and took a few steps forward, biting her bottom lip, trying to hold back the tears that threatened to fall. She was about to say Daryl's name to get his attention but he turned around before she open her mouth.

His eyes went wide with shock and sob finally parted from her lips as she ran over to him, throwing her arms around his neck. He held her close as she cried into his shoulder. He was really here and so was she.

She pulled her head away from his shoulder to look at him. He was a little dirtier than usual but he was still her Daryl. She placed a hand on his cheek.

"You're really here," she cried.

"I'm really here," he said placing his hand on top of her hand that was on his cheek. "So are you."

She smiled through her tears as she pressed her lips against his making sure this was real. Pulling away, she took a step back and placed her hand on her belly as it rumbled. She needed to eat, mainly for the baby. Looking at Daryl again she noticed his eyes were on her swelling stomach. She was about to say something when Shane spoke.

"Well, look, I... I don't, okay, Rick? So could you just... Could you throw me a bone here, man? Could you just tell me why? Why would you risk your life for a douche bag like Merle Dixon?"

Lilly frowned hearing Shane's words. Even though Merle was a douche bag, he was her family and she knew him better than the strangers she met the day before.

"Hey, choose your words more carefully," Daryl defended his brother from beside Lilly, an arm wrapping around her waist. She clutched the front of his shirt with one hand while the other gently rested on his back. Neither of them wanted to let each other go but knew they had to so Daryl could go get Merle back.

"No, I did. Douche bag's what I meant," he threw Daryl a quick glance before turning his attention back to Rick. "Merle Dixon... The guy wouldn't give you a glass of water if you were dying of thirst."

Shane was really starting to get on Lilly's nerves. She wondered if the man was losing what humanity he could have left. Sure, he let her and her cousin stay with them but she had a feeling his humanity wasn't the reason behind it.

"What he would or wouldn't do doesn't interest me. I can't let a man die of thirst... Thirst and exposure. We left him like an animal caught in a trap. That's no way for anything to die, let alone a human being."

She smiled a little hearing what Rick said. She could tell he was a good man.

"So you and Daryl, that's your big plan?" Lori spoke up. Rick looked at her and then at Glenn who groaned.

"Oh, come on!"

"You know the way. You've been there before... In and out, no problem. You said so yourself," Rick said. "It's not fair of me to ask... I know that, but I'd feel a lot better with you along. I know she would too." He looked at Lori again.

"That's just great. Now you're gonna risk three men, huh?" Shane complained.

"Four." Everyone looked at T-Dog after he spoke, volunteering himself.

Daryl huffed, "My day just gets better and better, don't it?"

"You see anybody else here stepping up to save your brother's cracker ass," T-Dog frowned at him.

"Why you?" Daryl asked him.

"You wouldn't even begin to understand." T-Dog replied. "You don't speak my language."

"Let's go talk while they get ready," Lilly said pulling Daryl away from the group before the yelling started again.

Daryl led her to the tent him and Merle shared. She sat down on the cot while he sat across from her and started cleaning his arrows. She watched him for a couple of minutes before she decided to speak.

"I found out the day Atlanta was overrun. I wanted to go home and tell you but Johnny took me straight to the refuge centre."

Daryl looked from his arrows to her. "How far along are ya?"

"About 14-15 weeks. Doc said I was 9 weeks when Johnny took me to see her."

"Ya decided to keep it?"

Lilly nodded and started to ramble. "I was scared he or she would be the only thing I have left of you. I thought about the pros and cons. Cons outweighed the pros but I still couldn't get rid of him or her. This could be our only chance at having a little one. And he or she was conceived before this world turned to hell. I -"

"Hey," Daryl called getting her attention, ending her rambling. "I'm glad ya kept it."

"Ya are?" she said a little surprised but happy and relieved. They've been together 10 years but only talked about having children once, after she got pregnant the first time.

Daryl admitted his biggest fear was that he would be like his father. He was always scared of hurting Lilly and their children, if they had any. Lilly had reassured him he was nothing like his father. But he made her promise, if he hurt her or their potential children, she had to take the kids and leave him.

After they lost their unborn baby, they didn't talk about having children again.

"Like ya said, this could be our only chance to have one."

"Ya not worried?" she asked.

"Course I am." He said honestly. "The world's gone to shit, it's no place for a baby."

"I know." She agreed.

"But look what happened last time," He said. "Maybe God's givin' us a second chance."

A small chuckle escaped Lilly's lips. "He lets the world go to shit but gives us one of the most precious gifts."

Daryl shrugged standing up from where he was sitting, slinging his crossbow carefully over his shoulder. "You're the preacher's daughter."

A chuckle passed her lips as she stood up also. "I don't think being a preacher's daughter matters much these days."

"We'll talk more when I get back." He placed a hand on her hip as she stood close to him.

"You better get back here. If it wasn't Merle I wouldn't be lettin' you go." She told him seriously and honestly. "I went weeks wonderin' if you were still alive and slowly losin' hope that you were. You need to come back to me and our baby."

"Ya know I will." He planted his lips to hers and gave her a quick kiss before heading out of the tent.

She stepped out behind him but stayed standing by the tent and watched the people that were going saying goodbye. She watched as Lori and Rick's son, Carl, run into their tent. She knew how he and his mother felt. They just got Rick back like she had just gotten Daryl back.

As the truck pulled away, she went back into the RV and grabbed what little belongings she had. She moved them to the Dixon tent. She didn't want to stay in the RV if Daryl wasn't going to and she knew that he wouldn't.

"Hey, you goin' to come out and join everyone?" Johnny asked coming into the tent a few minutes later, earning a glare from her.

"So I can hear them talk about Daryl and Merle like they think they know them?" She retorted with a question of her own.

"You have to admit they're right on some things," he frowned at her.

"Don't you start," she glared at him again. "You know Daryl and Merle about as well as they do which is not at all. You just agree with them because Daryl's never been good enough for our so called perfect little family."

"I invited him to my wedding didn't I?" he asked.

"Only because you knew I wouldn't come if ya didn't invite him," her voice rose a little. "It's the damn end of the world and you still can't look past him not bein' good enough for me."

"I'm just lookin' out for ya, I always have been." He argued.

"Well stop!" She yelled, her pregnancy hormones shortening her patience and adding to her frustration. "You're not my damn father, so stop acting like him. Nothin' is going to stop me from lovin' Daryl. It's been over 10 years, move on!"

She stormed out of the tent leaving Johnny alone. She started making her way down to the lake when Dale's voice stopped her.

"Everything okay?" she heard him ask.

She looked up to where he was standing on top of the RV. "You heard that huh?"

"Only heard you yelling," he told her honestly.

"Can I come sit up there with you?" She asked. She changed her mind about going to the lake. Dale seemed kind and like someone she could talk to and be honest about with. Sitting up on the RV got her away from Johnny and kept her and her bad mood out of the way of everyone.

"Sure you can," he smiled.

She returned his smile with a small one of her own and stepped towards the RV. Dale helped her up and let her take his seat on the RV.

"I'm guessing you and your cousin are having a little trouble," he said looking back over the camp again.

"You could say that," she sighed. Dale didn't say anything but gave her the vibe to continue so she did. "My family has never approved of Daryl. They saw him like you guys do – some dirty, volatile redneck trash. Johnny still sees him as that."

"We all don't completely see him that way, I can tell Daryl has his problems, who doesn't? Since they've been here I've noticed Merle seems to have some hold over him," He started, looking at her as he spoke. "We, including your family, don't have the same connection to Daryl as you do. We only get to see parts of Daryl and what we've seen so far is the volatile part. You get to see him in a whole different light."

"Until this one's born, if he or she survives, Merle is the only blood relative he has. Merle was the only one that cared enough to teach him stuff. And they're brothers."

"You really love him."

"Always have, always will." She smiled a little, placing a hand on the small bump. She was looking forward to when she'll be able to feel him or her moving around. She didn't know much about pregnancy, losing the first baby a week after finding out she was pregnant, she never bothered to purchase any pregnancy books and only had pamphlets about her 'options'.

"When did you two meet?" Dale asked, genuinely surprising her. No one asked about how they met or when they got together.

"I was eleven and he was about to turn thirteen," she told him. "I saw him in the woods so I started talking to him. He didn't seem like the friendly sort but that didn't stop me from trying to become his friend."

"It obviously worked."

Lilly laughed a loud genuine laugh remembering when she stop being the annoying brat and became his friend. "It didn't happen without a yelling match and finding out we had a few things in common."

"I guess you two were joined at the hip after that?" Dale asked.

"He didn't talk to me for a couple of weeks. When he finally did he said some sort of apology for being an ass." She smiled. "After that we were inseparable."

"When did your friendship turn into a relationship?"

"After I came home from college." She smiled again remembering it like it was yesterday.

"I'm guessing you made the first move?"

"He wouldn't have," she said. "I knew I had to be the one that did otherwise I'd be still waiting for him to make the first move."

"So it's always been Daryl?"

"Yeah," she nodded, turning one of the rings on her finger, it was her mom's engagement ring she inherited when her mom died. It wasn't anything extravagant, just a white gold band with three diamonds in a row in the middle of the band. The diamond in the middle was a little bigger than the other two. She wore a segment ring her dad got her for her sixteenth birthday on another finger. That was a sterling silver ring with a blue topaz stone for her birth month. "Even in high school and college it was always Daryl."

"I know what you mean." he smiled seeing the love in the young woman's eyes. She truly loved the man they had been judging harshly for the last few weeks. "My wife and I met in high school and I knew she was the only one I wanted."

"What happened?" Lilly asked, she could see a sadness in his eyes when he mentioned his wife.

"She died." He said sadly, but had a small smile on his face.

"I'm sorry."

"It was before all this happened, she's truly in a better place now." He said, another silence falling over them again.

Lilly started thinking about Daryl. Dale was strong, he carried on living his life without his one true love. Lilly didn't think she could do that if Daryl died and she wasn't pregnant. She'd die along with him.

"He'll be okay." Dale said. She didn't have to say anything for him to know she was thinking about Daryl.

"I know," she said looking out over the camp grounds and towards the lake, seeing some of the women doing the washing. "But it doesn't stop me from worryin'."

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><p><strong>To all the people that reviewed the last chapter - Wow, thank you so much. It's been a rough time at the moment so I really do appreciate knowing I'm doing something right. All the quotes I got from a tv subtitles site so hopefully they're all right. Leave your love.<strong>


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